Robots want to help us stay connected. The Dawn Café where customers mix with robot staff suggests future possibilities for social care. Each of the robots is a physical avatar controlled by a human via phone, tablet or eye-tracking device from their own home or even hospital. Creator Kentaro Yoshifuji explains his innovation as “teleportation.” Those losing... Continue Reading →
To be honest I am much more comfortable describing the future of a brand or business than my own future. Despite this I took the challenge of visualising my future 'best possible self' late last year. Writing for just over 2 hours I responded to the instructions used by Laura King in her 2001 study,... Continue Reading →
Octopus Energy has achieved 'double unicorn' status with a valuation in excess of $2 billion in just five years. It seems to be on track to be the world's leading renewable energy business. The foundation for this remarkable success is clever and agile business model thinking and here Octopus offers inspiration for start-ups and established... Continue Reading →
The rapid development of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is a case-study of effective collaboration. BioNTech has applied new ‘messenger RNA’ technology to carry instructions to human cells that trigger the immune system response for an attack by Covid-19. The resulting immune memory defends against the virus. Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci are physicians who met in... Continue Reading →
The launch of a direct to consumer website is not usually big news, especially during this pandemic, but PepsiCo's launch of Snacks.com and Pantryshop.com has gained attention with headlines such as "PepsiCo cuts out grocery stores." These simple websites don't look like a particularly big strategic play at first glance. In fact PepsiCo suggest they... Continue Reading →
Nike faces some some uncertainty, but it is a business well positioned for a post-pandemic bounce. Boosted by strong sales growth in China the company's revenue grew to $40 billion in 2019. Footwear accounts for more than half of the brand's revenue. Nike's leading position for sales is not matched by sustainability. Progress is being made... Continue Reading →
At a time when investors are hesitating, British ceramics brand Emma Bridgewater has secured an £8m investment to support growth. It is a big expression of confidence for the pottery company established in 1985 that has organically grown revenues beyond £20m. Like the company's ceramics this investment is eye-catching and led me to reflect on... Continue Reading →
Disney has assembled an incredible portfolio of brands and companies including Marvel, Fox Studios, Lucas Films, ESPN and Pixar. Disney is a case-study of a diverse business that has made bold decisions to remain relevant. Strong story-telling franchises ensure cross-generation appeal and are translated into engaging experiences via theme parks or resorts globally. The company... Continue Reading →
In these uncertain times we should probably be classifying ice cream as medicinal. Unfortunately, with restaurants closed, cinemas shut and trips cancelled many of those out-of-home moments where we get the ice cream urge have temporarily gone. The sales impact has led to Unilever, the owner of the Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum brands to... Continue Reading →
Last month I toured one of Amazon's UK Fulfilment Centres to see the process and people behind my Amazon Prime deliveries. Those working looked happy, management wore “can I help?” T-shirts and the HR team were visible in the middle of the vast floor. Amazon's operational transparency reassured me about the company. Transparency, however, for... Continue Reading →
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